Army Names First Female Top Drill Sergeant

Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa L. King of the 369th AG Battalion discusses issues with privates during their batallion duty in her office at Fort Jackson, S.C. Photo: Nicole Bengiveno, The New York Times / Redux

She's parachuted from a plane 33 times, the vanity plates on her Corvette read "noslack" and she's now responsible for the basic training of every enlisted soldier -- men and women -- in the U.S. Army. Meet Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa L. King, the first woman to oversee drill sergeant training in the Army's 235-year history.

King said she's proud to be breaking an Army barrier, however, "It really doesn't matter if you're male or female. If you ... enforce standards, people will respect you," she told the American Forces News Service.

The 48-year-old has certainly worked hard enough on her own physical fitness to warrant respect. At her recent semiannual physical training test, she scored a perfect 300, according to The New York Times. King completed 34 push-ups and 66 sit-ups, each in under two minutes, then ran two miles in 16 minutes 10 seconds, well within the maximum time of 17:36 for her age group.

King said she hopes her selection will encourage other women to pursue the path of advancement in the military.

"Because I'm doing it ... that means another female command sergeant major can do it," she said. "I think it's going to set the bar higher for them, not just for drill sergeants, but for other female soldiers."

How do you think you'd fare under the watchful eye of Command Sgt. Maj. King? This link provides the Army's Physical Training (PT) standards by age for push-ups, sit-ups and a two-mile run so you can see how you measure up to military requirements.

If you need to brush up on your basics before tackling the Army's PT test, here are helpful pointers for improving your push-ups, sit-ups and running. A-tten-tion!